Musings on Traditional Wicca in South Africa

This time of the year in Johannesburg is delightful. With the sweltering heat subsiding into the crisp coolness of autumn, the air crackles with Witch magic. We have just experienced the major festival of Samhain in the Southern Hemisphere. This festival is arguably the festival that receives the most PR and attention of the modern Witchcraft and Pagan movement. It is understandable, as we as a modern culture have lost most of the spiritual and religious customs concerning Death and dying. There is of course the widely celebrated Halloween in the Northern Hemisphere, however it does not coincide with the Witch festival in April here down south.

I received a rather interesting email just before this year’s celebrations. The gentleman asked me whether the Derby Coven, and therefore Alexandrian witches no longer celebrate the Sabbats. This question apparently came about due to the fact that there are never any photographs of our celebrations and altars on social media outlets like Facebook or Instagram.

As aspects of the Craft seemed to become more open in the 1970’s and 80’s, a public exoteric form of modern Paganism developed, inspired by what was available in published sources. The Craft festival names and celebrations were adopted into this new movement. This culminated in a massive growth globally in what was to become the modern Pagan Witchcraft movement. You now find covens and groups from various traditions and movements all over the world that have Instagram accounts and Facebook pages on which they share their altars, photos from their events and , somewhat bizarrely to this writer, photographs taken during their rites. I realize that setting up and photographing of altars could be inspiring and beautiful to some. In our coven , they are certainly so, but our altars and ritual spaces are meant for the inspiration and preparation of consciousness of our own witches.

I would not dare to speak for Alexandrian witches as a whole, but what I can say is that most initiates I know, keep their altars and works private. You would therefore rarely, if ever, see photographs depicting our true rites. Do we celebrate and experience the Sabbats? Absolutely we do! All of them.

Every single festival carries a core mystery to be pierced, experienced and celebrated. Besides being utterly magical and spiritually inspiring, it will trigger realizations on many different levels for the Witch. They are also outright joyful, and so it should be.

There is also an old Craft law that states that no one shall know who the members of your Coven are. This could be argued to be only a remnant of the times of persecution. There might be more to it than that after all, but that I will leave as a post for another day.

Knowledge, Courage, Volition and Silence are the Pillars of the Temple. Each one is encountered and internalized on the path of the Initiate. Silence however, is one of the most important to learn and yet often one of the most eluding. Silence is might. It is the pillar of silence which transforms “secret” into what it truly should be in it’s higher aspect; sacred. That which is held in a state of dedication and consecration.

Now, it could be easily argued that Alex and Maxine Sanders permitted photographs to be taken of their rites. A Google search could easily lead to that conclusion, however this would be misleading . What is not commonly known, is that most, if not all of these rites were staged specifically for those photographs and films, and many of us carry on in this manner.

I enjoy seeing and adoring beauty, whether that be in a beautiful natural setting, a work of art, a piece of music, or for that matter, a beautifully prepared and devoted altar. We in Derby and many other Alexandrian witches just prefer to keep ours sacred and therefore- unpublished.

The Derby Coven is the first Traditional Alexandrian Wiccan Coven to be formed in South Africa. We facilitate Initiation and training as was done in the original Alexandrian Covens in England, headed by Alex and Maxine Sanders (The London Coven and the Temple of the Mother and the later groups).

The Priest who formed the Derby Coven was duly initiated, consecrated and dedicated to the works of Witchcraft in Boston, USA, where he also received formal training within the circle.

The Coven is currently accepting those who feel they have vocation and dedication for the Alexandrian Priesthood , to be considered for initiation into the mysteries and subsequent training in the Traditional Wicca,and the Art Magical. Please contact for details and clarification about the application process.

As a training coven, we meet weekly for training and working circles, as well as the eight Seasonal Sabbats, connecting us with the rhythm and forces of the cosmos, and the inner mystery aspects of the Craft of the Wise. We also focus on aspects of Hermetic pathworking, the Ceremonial Magical Arts, Qabalah and the Pauline Art of Angelic Magic.

Please refer to the page ‘Requesting Initiation ‘ for more information .

Alexandrian Wicca, more frequently referred to as Alexandrian Witchcraft, is a tradition of the religion of Wicca and forms part of the traditions now collectively known as British Traditional Wicca. It was founded by Alex Sanders and his wife Maxine Sanders, and they established it in the United Kingdom in the 1960s. Although the Alexandrian Tradition shares similarities with Gardnerian Wicca,as it has a common origin, it is regarded as a unique lineage of modern Witchcraft. The tradition receives regular mention in books on Wicca as one of the religion’s most widely recognized traditions.

==Origins and history==

The Alexandrian Tradition has its origins in Gardnerian Wicca. At the time of its development however, the idea of distinction between traditions was not yet common, and the movement was simply referred to “The Old Religion”, or “The Wica”.

Alex Sanders, was initiated into the Gardnerian Tradition in 1963 by a Derbyshire witch named Medea. He later became known as “King of the Witches”, which was a magickal title bestowed upon him by the members of his covens at the time. According to Maxine Sanders, by the time she was initiated, Alex was a member of at least two covens. In 1964, Maxine Sanders was initiated into Alex Sander’s Manchester coven, eventually becoming the High Priestess . At that point however, Alexandrian Craft had not yet come into being, but that it only distinctly developed in the Sander’s later London Coven.

In 1967, the Sanders’s accepted employment in London, moving into a basement apartment in Clanricarde Gardens, Nottinghill Gate. It is at this point that the tradition really took form, and where the ‘London Coven’, the first training coven in modern Witchcraft, came into being. The London Coven is also noteworthy, as it is in this coven that well known witch Stewart Farrar wrote the book “What Witches Do”. This book was a unique look at the practices of the London coven, and the first of its kind at the time. Farrar also played a role in the naming of the tradition. Although the witches that were initiated by the Sander’s were at times referred to as ‘Alexandrian’ especially by initiates of other traditions, the official reference to the Sanders’s lineage as Alexandrian Witchcraft came near the time of publication of “What Witches Do”. Maxine recalls that Stewart did not yet have a designation of what ‘type’ of witches they were. In a meeting between her, Alex and Farrar, he asked what he could call the witches initiated by them. Thus far, Maxine and Alex were happy to be called witches. ‘Alexandrian’ is what was then settled on by the three of them.

In 1973, the Sanders’s separated, Maxine continuing in London, and Alex moving to Bexhill-on-Sea in Sussex. The initiates of the London coven were given the option whether they wanted to remain in London or continue on to the Bexhill Coven. Both Alex and Maxine continued their work in the Craft and the Alexandrian Tradition respectively. Alex however also later developed work with a man named Derek Taylor in their magickal order known as The Ordine Della Luna and Nova. This order, and the others that stemmed from it however, are not considered part of the Alexandrian Tradition of Witchcraft today but a different magical order with different objectives.

Another noteworthy coven in the history and development of Alexandrian Craft is the ‘Temple of The Mother’, which was a coven that Maxine Sanders ran with her High Priest at the time, David Goddard. In Temple of the Mother, Maxine continued to develop the work of the Alexandrian Tradition, and many well known witches today were trained in this coven.

==Practices & Beliefs==

The Alexandrian Tradition of Witchcraft is a fertility based mystery cult, and its inner workings and practices are taught to initiates only. The tradition, compared to others, is not necessarily as secretive, but inner workings are considered sacred, and therefore private to those who are initiated into the tradition. The tradition shares some aspects with other forms of traditional Wicca, for instance the Wheel of the year, initiation and degree structure and the importance of gender polarity in its workings. There are however key differences between the traditions in practice and philosophy.

Traditionally Alexandrians pay homage to the Ancient Gods of Europe – the Goddess of the Moon and the Horned God. Similar to other traditions, the exact names of the Gods in the tradition are kept private and are known only amongst initiates. The Priesthood of the tradition seeks a personal connection and understanding of Divinity and the ancestors, but also, through the rhythms and tides of nature and, ultimately the inner rhythms of the Cosmos, the unfolding and development of the initiate and witch. Alexandrian witches believe in the power of magick and the use of both traditional and innovative techniques to achieve its objectives.

Alexandrian covens do at times work Skyclad, especially for specific ceremonies, and when the magick calls for it, however robes are also used.

==Training==

Proper, systematic and complete training is a strong component in the Alexandrian tradition and has been emphasized from its inception.

Training within the Alexandrian Tradition, which includes both the oral lore and practical work commences after initiation.

==Ranks and degrees==

The Alexandrian Tradition shares with other traditional Wiccan systems the belief that “only a witch can make another witch”. The process through which an individual is made a witch is called initiation.

There are “degrees” of initiation and are known as First, Second, and Third degree. Maxine Sanders has also called the First degree, initiation into the mysteries; the second degree, penetration of those mysteries; and the third as a celebration. There are no intermediaries in traditional Wicca between the initiate and the Gods and every initiate is a Priest or Priestess unto him or herself. A third degree initiate is referred to as a “High Priestess” or “High Priest”, and they are usually, but not always, the leaders of the coven.

In the Alexandrian Tradition, the Second and Third degree are given together, and not separately, as in other traditions. Historically there have been exceptions, which was truly the exception rather than the norm. One of the notable exceptions was the initiation of Janet and Stewart Farrar. There has been some recent dispute whether this has always been the practice in the tradition, but evidence shows that this was indeed the case from the beginning. In an interview with Sanders in 1970, which appears in a later version of “What Witches Do”, Alex Sanders clearly states the following:

“The First Grade makes you a Witch. Second grade enables you to break away and form a coven of your own. The Third grade isn’t really a grade, it is a ceremony, and it has to be taken at the same time as the Second”

Initiation in the Alexandrian Tradition is passed between individuals of the opposite gender, and same sex initiation is not considered valid traditional Alexandrian practice. >

==Relationship to other Traditions ==

It is known that many initiates of the Alexandrian Tradition also choose to train in various aspects of magic and occultism, such as Hermetics, The Sacred Magic of the Angels, Qabala, and other aspects of the Western Mystery Tradition.

It has been commonly observed that Alexandrian practices are as a whole, more ceremonial compared to other traditions.

Witchcraft teaches us consciousness. This ‘consciousness’ comes about in various areas of being, and on various levels. One often overlooked area, is in the way we speak. As initiates we try to be as conscious as we can, of the words coming out of our mouths. Words have power. It can change things. It can affect things.

As a seeker of the Alexandrian Tradition, a good place to start this awareness is in the way we communicate with each other or the Priesthood, whether in person or online. When we are communicating with each other in these instances, we are not a group of friends, neither are we on a socializing ‘witchy group’ spending our time posting memes…

In these instances we are entering a mindset which is set apart from the normal mundane world. We are entering with a mindset of being prospective initiates of the Craft of the wise, or at least out of curiosity. Curiosity is perfectly fine and acceptable, as long as with respect and good manners are remembered.

When we contact one of the Priesthood, it should be treated as a formal communication. A “howzit”; “whats up dude?’’, ‘Oi’, is not regarded as formal communication. The initiate will usually not correct this person, as it would be equally disrespectful to do so, but would rather reply in a dignified manner, hoping that the individual would take cue. Consciousness of the fact that one is working toward initiation, or at least better understanding of the Craft should always be present in communication. A standard ‘Hello’ or ‘Greetings’, is perfectly acceptable, followed by “Brightest Blessings” or if not that “Kind Regards”. This is especially important to keep in mind in written communication to initiates, for example a letter of request for initiation.

Initiates will NOT use ‘Blessed Be’ as a greeting with non initiates, as this is a special meaningful greeting and acknowledgment between initiates, stemming from a moment in the rite of initiation, that all initiates would have gone through.

In a world where very few things are held sacred, and manners are no longer held important, a consciousness of the way we interact and speak to others, might be a refreshing awareness for many, which might even enhance your life in the mundane.

In closing, I am reminded of those 3 qualities looked for in potential initiates, so often mentioned ; Vocation, Dedication and a sense for Beauty in all things.

The following is a piece written on training specifically within the Derby Coven.

Training within the Derby Coven follows along the same concepts, practices and philosophies as that of the London Coven and the later Temple of the Mother in London, United Kingdom, which were headed by Alex and Maxine Sanders.

An initiate is expected to master amongst other things, the following after the First degree initiation:

~Copying the Book of Shadows which is traditionally only allowed for an hour at a time;

~Developing and using the Golden Cross of Equilibrium (not to be confused with the ‘gold cross’ as that term is used in other traditions and orders);

~Making contact with the Altar;

~Working in unison with the other witches in the circle;

~Casting the circle;

~Invoking the Quarter Lords;

~Consecrations;

~Invocations;

~Drawing, sensing and feeling energy;

~Various methods of raising and directing power;

~Ritual movement and the meaning of each and every movement;

~Banishing;

~Ritual voice;

~Group Mind;

~ Acts of Worship;

~Acts of Magic.

These are the basics on which the rest of the training is built

After considerable experience and training, the Witch may then decide to embark on the preparation for the Higher Degrees and the subsequent inner workings and deeper knowledge and gnosis that go along with this.

Training within the First degree takes -usually a minimum of 2 years.

As a training coven, we meet weekly for training and working circles, as well as the eight Seasonal Sabbats, connecting us with the rhythm and forces of the cosmos, and the inner mystery aspects of the Craft of the Wise. We also focus on aspects of Hermetic pathworking, the Ceremonial Magical Arts, Qabalah and the Pauline Art of Angelic Magic.

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The Alexandrian Tradition is composed of men and women who have dedicated their lives to the Priesthood and service of the Ancient Gods. Every coven is completely autonomous and there is no central authority within the tradition.

The structure of the Priesthood of the Tradition is the same as that observed in the Gardnerian Tradition, being First, second and Third degree,but there are a couple of notable differences between practices .

The degrees indicate the spiritual progression of the individual. Each degree contains its own mysteries to be experienced and the Mysteries are both revealed and discovered, as the Craft is a initiatory and experiential tradition. This implies that the mysteries will have to be experienced by the individual to be understood and internalized.

One of the fundamental characteristics of the Priesthood is the fact that they should be aspiring to the quality of ‘beauty’. ‘Beauty’ here means ‘a greater beauty’ applied to everything; The way they speak, the way they compose themselves.The initiates who undergo Alexandrian training, should act and behave in a dignified and priestly manner, since they are representatives of the Goddess and God and as such, every step they take should always take this into account.

“Magic itself is simple and direct, it is the rituals that lead us to acts of magic that require years of student practice and discipline.” – Maxine Sanders

In order to work a Circle of power effectively, takes years of practice and discipline. There are several components in the creation of a circle that have to be taken into account and each moment in this process has to be mastered in a concrete and efficient way. The Magic Circle is one of the most important components of a rite. Without the Circle, none of the work can be done and the Witch who has not been properly trained to do so, will fail. How to create and work an effective Circle of power and all that this entails, is the work of the first degree. To master this Circle, is the work of subsequent

At higher grades, there are no profound “revelations” or “secrets” that make 2 or 3 special grades. At these levels, there is only a clearer perception, and accumulation of techniques and responsibilities that are developed and exercised. Philosophically and hermetically, there are levels that are reached, but evolution never stops and in the end, degrees are only representative of levels of development. The Work is more important than any degree that has been obtained.

Training in the Alexandrian Tradition of Witchcraft may take several years and depends on the dedication, vocation and consistency of the work of the Initiate, and whether there is progress or not in his training. Alex Sanders writes in the book “The Alex Sanders Lectures” in Chapter IV titled “The First Degree of Initiation in Wicca”:

“Why does anyone want to be a witch? It is a question that most people ask. Do they seek sensation or home from home or do they really want or spiritual progression? The answer is that people come for all these reasons. Neither does the reason matter, for one gets out of the Wicca as much as one puts into it. “- Alex Sanders

The High Priesthood should be like “strings on a harp, which produces a clear note, and when played together, sympathy shall form a beautiful symphony” (Alex Sanders, The Alex Sanders Lectures, 1970).

Book Excerpt, “The Chalice and the Blade – On the Alexandrian tradition of Wicca” of Karagan Griffith

Please note that the following is the process for requesting initiation into the Derby Coven of the Alexandrian Tradition of Witchcraft only. This is the only lineage of valid Alexandrian initiation in South Africa at present.

By the time an individual requests initiation and subsequent training in the Alexandrian Tradition, contact with a prospective coven and teacher would have been made, either through one of the Soirees held regularly, or through whatever means. (Email contact ect)

Please forward any enquiries to johannesburgcoven@gmail.com

Once you decide to formally request initiation and subsequent training you will have to send a letter to the prospective coven, containing the history of your own path up to the time of the application. This letter must include which groups you attended, if any, and of what tradition, if any. It needs to include what your experiences have been within paganism or witchcraft or Wicca, including any teachers or mentors who assisted you in your training, if any.

Please also state why you wish to be part of The Alexandrian Tradition – given that there are other forms of witchcraft, paganism and wicca available in South Africa. The letter will also have to include what it is you think that the Craft can give you, and also what you think you can bring to the Craft

Finally, it has to clearly state in the letter that you wish to be initiated and trained within the Alexandrian Tradition of Witchcraft.

**Also note that if you are accepted for the pre-initiatory preparation sessions, you will have to cease any and all magickal or religious practices and activities including participation in other Traditions, Orders and groups, Open or closed rituals, or any other type of occult or witchcraft-related training, with the exception of certain personal devotional practices. **

Once the request is made, the candidate must be aware that he or she will have to devote themselves exclusively to training within the Alexandrian Tradition for the period of training within the First Degree.

Any candidate who is accepted for Initiation will have to travel to the coven at least 4 times per month, unless in a different province, in which case there will be different protocols. As such, please consider travel plans and the feasibility of them before applying for initiation.

The Derby Coven will not consider to initiate any individual whose profession puts them into contact with death regularly, such as grave diggers, abattoir workers and butchers, and morticians. This regulation does not include medical Doctors. We do not initiate the severely disabled, either inflicted by accident or by birth.

‘There must be a book, written under the influence of a powerful spiritual inspiration, which forms the permanent nucleus of any movement that is to survive it’s founder. Such a book exalts the consciousness of those who read it and puts them in psychic touch with the sources whence the inspiration came; they are then able to work independently.’ – Dion Fortune- Applied Magic p68

The Book of Shadows… This beautiful and evocative name given to the book of liturgy and rituals within the Craft conjures up all sorts of images in the mind. From a tome that flips open thrice, to hereditary books full of demons, charms and potions. Most of these images are to the credit of movies and television shows like Charmed and Practical Magic.

Don’t get me wrong, I love these images and they can sometimes enhance and inspire the creative expression that we can channel into making a Book of Shadows worthy of the beautiful rituals and lore that it contains.

The Book of Shadows in Traditional Wicca is NOT a journal wherein the witches record all their spells and rituals and thoughts and ideas, neither is it a spell book per se. It is a specific book that contains the core rites and liturgies of the Wica. An initiate would immediately be able to identify a BOS of their specific tradition, as there are some slight, but definitive variations.

After initiation into the Craft, a Witch will usually copy the Book of Shadows from their initiator. This practice has been beautifully retained in the Alexandrian Tradition, and the Book is copied by the initiate by candlelight, preferably for no more than an hour at a time.

Now, another thing about the basic Book of Shadows within the Alexandrian Tradition is that we do not add to this original book. The basic Book of Shadows remains unaltered. This might not necessarily the case in other traditions. We do however have what is sometimes called a Coven Book, in which we will record rituals and experiments and all further development of that which was done within a specific coven. These may or may not be shared among initiates for purposes of sharing knowledge, experience and wisdom, but it is the unique expression of the experiences of that particular coven, and is not added to the core BOS.

Another misconception is that the entirety of the Book has been published. It has not. In other words, you will not find a complete Alexandrian Book of Shadows online, or in print, contrary to what some have claimed. What is also misunderstood is that even if the entire Book was published today, it would be almost entirely worthless without the oral lore and training that goes hand in hand with it. The Book of Shadows can in this way be viewed as a short hand for the initiate who has been trained to work the rites.

Although The Craft is certainly not a “religion of the book”, it remains a religion with core rites and principles that has kept the integrity of the tradition, and will hopefully continue for years to come.